Punching machine



Aprll 26, 1927. 4G. TAUSCHEK PUNQHING MACHINE .,lji1ed Ju1y28, 1925 2Sheets-Shegt 1 April 26 .1921. 1,626,217

I G. TAUSCHEK PUNCHING MACHINE Fi1ed Jul /28. 1925 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Lye/afar.-

Patented Apr. 26, 1927.

U'NITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV TAlISCI-IEIK, or VIENNA, AtrsirnIA.

PUNQHING MACHINE.

Application filed July 28, 1925, Serial No. 46,683, and in Austria Apri18,.1924.

My present invention relates to machines for punching or perforatingcards such as aroused to represent figures, names, dates or otherparticulars for bookkeeping, statistical, or other purpoies.

The object of this invention is to. provide a machine of this characterwhich will be reliable in operation and which can be adjusted readily toperform its intended functions.

/ In principle, my improved machine comprises asupport for the card tobe perforated, a series of punches, and a movable carrier on which saidpunches are mounted in such a mannerthat they may assume two difierentconditions relatively thereto. One of said conditions is the normal orinactive condition, and if the carrier is moved toward the support,those punches which are in said inactive condition will notperforate-the card, but such function will be performed only by thosepunches which have been previously brought to what may be termed theiractive or ready condition. A special depressor or selector mechanism isprovided for setting the punches to such ready condition preparatory tothat movement of the carrier by which the punching operation isperformed. I

A typical and satisfactory example of a machine embodying my presentinvention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1is a front elevation of the machine, with parts in section Fig. 2 is aplan view; Fig. 3 is a vertical section, in a plane at right angles toFig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a portion of thedepressor or selector which sets the punches to'the active or readycondition; and Fig. 5 is a detail elevation, with parts in section, andon an enlarged scale, this view being taken as looking from the left ofFig. 3.

By means of any suitable holding devices (notshown), the card to be'erforated is secured to the base plate 1. 1th this plate are connectedrigidly parallel guide bars 2 extending transversely of the machine.Along these bars is movable, lengthwise of the card, a slide 3 rovidedwith eyes embracing said guide ars. Orr-said slide is mounted a punchcarrier 4, in such a manner as to share the movement of the slide, yetto be also capable of a vertical movement relativelyto such slide. Inthe carrier 4 are mounted a' series of punches, said series the punch 13and four of the punches 6 (at' the right) in this inactive position orcondition. In this position, the punchin or lower ends of the punchesproject but slightly beyond the bottom face of thecarrier 4, while thetops of said punches extend quit'e appreciably beyond the upper face ofsaid carrier. The punches maybe brought to the active or ready positionor condition, by means of a depressor or selector 8' extendingfromfrontto rear of themachine, overthe upper ends of the punches, andconnected rigidly with a slide 8 movable forwardly and rearwardly alongguides 4 which are rigid with the carrier 4. The slide 8 and selector 8may be moved by means of a handle 9 suitaby guided by means of a slot 3'in the slide 3. Inasmuch as,

with this construction, the handle 9 will:

have no vertical movement, while the selector 8 and the slide 8 willmove up and down with the carrier 4, a suitable arrangement, such as thetelescopic connection indicated at- 9 in Fig. 1, will be provided tocompel the parts 8, 9 to'move in unison forward and rearward of themachine, while permitting the slide 8 to move up and down relatively tothe handle member 9. The handle is shown as provided with a pointer 9co-operating with a scale 3 secured to the slide 3, to indicate theposition of the selector 8. This handle may also be provided with thewell-known rack-and-p'awl or equivalent mechanism (not shown) forpreventing accidental, movement and holding the handle and the selector8 in the position to which they may have been adjusted. Preferably thetops of the punches are beveled, at least on their'rear' sides, so thatthey will oppose no .material resistance to the forward movement of theselector 8. Fig. 3 shows five of the punches 6 in engagementwith the"selector 8 and depressed by it to a'position (the ready position) inwhich-the lower ends of sand punches projeot considerabl below those ofthe other (inactive) punc es. If new the carrier 4 with the selector 8'is moved down by mechanism to be described presently, the selector 8,forming a rigid backing for the five punches which are in the readyposition or condition, will force these punches through the card andmake a corresponding number of perforations in such card.

Those punches, however, which are not in.

engagement with the selector 8', will remain inactive, as regardsthepunching operation. Preferably the lower surface of the selector 8 isprovided with notches into which the beveled upper ends of the punchesmay snap under the influence of the springs 7.

The perforations produced by the punches 6 are intended for the mainindications of the card, and in cases where indications mean figures (asin making a record of wages earned by a workman), nine punches 6 will beemployed, as illustrated. It will be obvious that the selector 8 may bemoved to different positions according to which the downward movement ofthe carrier '4 will cause one, two, three or more perforations (up tonine) to be produced simultaneously in the card. Thus, to punch a cardwith a record indicating the figure 5, the selector would be moved tothe position indicated in Fig. 3.In some cases, it might be desirable topunch in the card some additional marks having specific meanings. Forinstance, with cards perforated for the subsequent calculation of wagesin a tabulating machine of suitable character (forming no part of mypresent invention), some perforations will indicate figures to be added(for instance, ordinary wages and overtime) while others may indicatefigures to be subtracted (for instance, fines, charges for ma terial,etc.) The purposeof the punch 13 is to produce an extra perforation, ina place by itself (Fig. 3 indicates a gap between the punch 13 and theadjacent punch 6) which extra perforation will indicate, for instance,that the figure or number indicated by the adjacent series ofperforations produced by punches 6, is to be subtracted instead of beingadded. Tooperate the punch 13, the selector 8 would be moved toward.

the rear sufficiently to brin the wide forward end a of the selector inregistry and contact with the forked upper end of said punch 13, asshown in Fig. 4. This would depress the punch 13 to its active or readyposition, and upon then moving the carrier 4 downward by mechanism to bedescribed presently, the punch 13 would produce in the carda singleperforation equivalent to a minus sign. After then restoring the carrier4 to its upperposition, the selector 8' would be set farther forward soas to engage as many of the numeral punches 6 as it is desired tooperate. These punches 6 would be engaged by the narrow portlon or rib bof the selector, while the forked upper end of the punch 13 wouldstraddle such portion 6, so that the punch 13 will not be operated atthe time any of the numeral punches 6 perform a punching operation. InFig. 2, the letter V indicates the point of the scale 3" with which thepointer 9 should register when it is desired to operate the punch 13.

The following mechanism serves for forcing the carrier '4 down toperform the punching operation, springs 3 being employed to hold thecarrier 4 normally in its raised position and for returning it thereto.In suitable bearings provided on the slide 3, above the carrier 4, arejournaled the upper ends of toggle links 10, their lower ends beinconnected pivotally with the punch car mi 4, which is suitably guidedfor vertical movement relatively to the slide .3. The middle pivots ofthe toggle links are connected. by a rod 11, and a spring 5 coiled .1

aroundsaid rod and bearing at one end against a bracket carried by theslide 3,

tends to swing the toggle links in such a direction as to raise thecarrier 4. Thus the springs 5 and 3 have similar functions, and one orthe other might be omitted, but I prefer to use both on account of thegreater certainty of movement obtained thereby. One of the upper togglelink members is connected with a lever or key 12, by

the depression of which the carrier 4 will be moved downwardly toperform a perforating operation with the aid of those punches which arein engagement with the selector 8' at that time.

I may here add that the machine illustrated will be fully operativewithout the punclnlifting springs 7. If these springs are omitted allthe punches will (when the carrier 4 is in the raised position shown inFig. 3) be at the same level as the five punches 6 which Fig. 3 shows inengagement with the selector, 8, the weight of the punches causing themto drop to such posi-.

tion. In this case, therefore, the shifting of 'the selector 8'forwardly or rearwardly will not raise or lower any one of the punches.Still such shifting of the selector will bring some of the punches(those engaged by the selector) into active or ready condition, so thatupon lowering the carrier 4 these punches will be driven through thecard by the selector, in exactly the same manner as described above. Theother punches, however, which do not engage the selector, will remaininactive, and when the downward movement of the carrier 4 brings theseinactive punches against the card, the latter will simply act as a stopto hold such inactive punches stationary while the carrier 4 continuesto move down and drives the ready or active punches through the card.

After each punching operation, the slide 3 is to be fed lengthwise ofthe 2, a distance corresponding to the interval guide bars between twosuccessive rows of perforations of the finished card. For this purpose,the following mechanism has been provided, in the axample illustrated?In a housing 14 carried by the slide 3 on the outer side of its rearwall, is contained a spring of wellknown type having a tendency torotate the shaft 15 journaledin said slide and extending from front torear, that is, transversely ofthe guide bars 2. On this shaft is securedrigidly a pinion 16 in mesh with rack teeth on the forward guide bar 2.The shaft 15 also carries rigidly a .pinion 17 co-operating with'adouble pawl or escapement pawl 18 spring-pressed toward the positionshown in Fig. 5. The carrier 4 is provided with a pin 19 extendingrearwardly through a vertical slot 3" in the rear wall of the slide 3.With this pin is connected pivotally a link 20 the upper end of whichhas a similar connection with alever 21 fulcrumed on a plate 22 which"is normally stationary relatively to the slide 3. The endof the lever 21facing the pawl 18 is provided with a pivoted dog 21' normally held downby a spring 21". When the punch carrier 4 moves downwardly, the dog 21comes in contact with a projection or lug 18' on the pawl 18, the dogyielding by swinging on its pivot, so that the pawl 18 remains in theposition illustrated-by Fig. 5. During the .upward' or return movementof the carrier 4 (after the punching operation), the dog 21' engages theshoulder at the lower end of the lug 18 and thus swings the escapementpawl 18 (clockwise in Fig. 5) to enable the ratchet 17 to perform apartial rotation and feed the slide 3 by the co-operation of the pinion1 with the rack teeth on the forward bar 2.

The plate 22 has been shown as adapted toswing, and to be secured indifl'erent positions by means of a set screw 28' passing though anarcuate slot in said plate. This arrangement enables me to adjust thelever 21 toward or from the pawl 18, so as to'secure the properco-operation of these parts. Various modifications may be made with outdeparting from the nature of my invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

-I claim:

1. A punching machine comprising a punch carrier movable toward'and fromthe article to be perforated, a plurality of punches mounted on saidcarrier movably,

" and a selector likewise mounted on said carrier movably anddetermining, according to its position, which of'said. punches shall beactive during the movement of the punch carrier toward said article, oneof said the others at the portion controlled by the selector, and thelatter having portions movable in difierent paths for the control of therespective kinds of punches.

2. A machine according to claim 7, in

which the selector has a'wide end to co-oper-' ate with a\ forkedportionon one of the punches, and a relatively narrow rib extending lengthwiseof the path of said selectoi and adapted to be straddled by said forkedportion so as not to affect it, the other punches having portionsadapted for engagement with said longitudinal rib.

3. A punching machine comprising-a support for the article to beperforated, a slide movable in a plane parallel to that of said su ort aunch carrier movable in unison with said slide andalso movablerelatively thereto toward and from said support, punches mounted on saidcarrier movably, and a selector likewise mounted on said carriermovably, the position of said selector determining which of said punchesshall be active during the movement of the punch carrier toward saidarticle, and a feed mechanism, operated by the movement of the carrieraway from said article, for moving the said slide stepwise.

4. Apunching machine comprising a sup port for the article to bepunched, a punch carrier movable toward and away from said support, aplurality of punches movably mounted in said carrier, a selector movablymounted on said carrier and determining, according to its position,which of said punches shallbe active during the movement of the carriertoward the support, and escapement mechanism actuated by movement ofsaidpunch carrier for moving said carrier stepwise relative to said support.

5. A punching machine comprising a supportfor the article to be punched,a punch carrier movable toward and away from said support, a pluralityof punches movably mounted in said carrier, a selector movably mountedon said carrier and determining, according to its position, which ofsaid punches all be active during the movement of the carrier toward thesupport, a rack and a spring-pressed pinion co-operating to urge saidcarrier lengthwise of said rack, and escapement mechanism actuated bymovement of said punch carrier to permit stepwise.

,In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GUSTAV TAUSCHEK.

